The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rocket torques vanes fitted within rocket nozzles. More particularly, the rocket nozzles of the present invention possess a torque ring with low erodible torque vanes that are fitted between two sections of the rocket. The torque ring is rotationally anchored with erodible retainers that erode during launch of the rocket from the rocket launcher. Most particularly, the torque ring remains attached to the rocket nozzle after the torque ring has imparted torque to the rocket, while providing an appropriate torque to the rocket during the time period of immediately prior to and just after rocket exit from the rocket launcher.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The 2.75-Inch rocket nozzle of the MK 66 MOD 4 Rocket Motor currently in use by the United States Navy contains flutes machined into the nozzle body of the rocket. These flutes provide a maximum torque of 3 ft.-lbs., resulting in a rocket spin rate at launcher exit of 8 Hz. Problematic with the 2.75-Inch rocket nozzle is the fact that the 3 ft.-lbs. of torque does not shut-off during the motor burn. A fin assembly on the 2.75-Inch Rocket provides an anti-spin component to the rocket to prevent the rocket motor from suffering a catastrophic reaction as it spins into its bending mode frequency. An alternative method using erodible vane configuration suffers from a tendency of the vanes eroding at the aft edge of any slot holding mechanism.
There is a need to provide increased torque to rockets, particularly the 2.75-Inch rocket, while allowing the elimination of the torque during rocket launch. The present invention addresses this and other needs.
The present invention includes a rocket spin control system for a tube launched rocket comprising a torque vane system having a plurality of substantially low erodible vanes, the torque vane system attachable to the rocket, wherein the plurality of low erodible vanes are positionally fixed aft of the rocket propelling thrust effective to impart rapid spin to the rocket and one or more erodible retainers attachable to the torque vane system, wherein the erodible retainer retains the torque vane system in a manner that secures the substantially low erodible vanes in a fixed angular orientation within the rocket propelling thrust effective to provide torque to the rocket until the one or more erodible retainers erode wherein the torque vane system remains attached to the rocket and ceases to provide torque to the rocket.
The present invention also includes a method for imparting a spin on a rocket comprising the steps of providing a rocket spin control system for a tube launched rocket comprising a torque vane system having a plurality of substantially low erodible vanes, the torque vane system attachable to the rocket, wherein the plurality of low erodible vanes are positionally fixed aft of the rocket propelling thrust effective to impart rapid spin to the rocket and one or more erodible retainers attachable to the torque vane system, wherein the one or more erodible retainers retain the torque vane system in a manner that secures the low erodible vanes in a fixed angular orientation within the rocket propelling thrust effective to provide torque to the rocket until the one or more erodible retainers erode wherein the torque vane system remains attached to the rocket and ceases to provide torque to the rocket and launching the rocket from the launch tube, wherein the one or more erodible retainers erode.
The present invention further includes a rapid spin rocket product produced by the method comprising the steps of providing a rocket spin control system for a tube launched rocket comprising a torque vane system having a plurality of substantially low erodible vanes, the torque vane system attachable to the rocket, wherein the plurality of low erodible vanes are positionally fixed aft of the rocket propelling thrust effective to impart rapid spin to the rocket and one or more erodible retainers attachable to the torque vane system, wherein the one or more erodible retainers retain the torque vane system in a manner that secures the substantially low erodible vanes in a fixed angular orientation within the rocket propelling thrust effective to provide torque to the rocket until the one or more erodible retainers erode wherein the torque vane system remains attached to the rocket and ceases to provide torque to the rocket and launching the rocket from the launch tube, wherein the one or more erodible retainers erode.
The present invention provides greater torque for greater rocket spin rate to improve rocket impact precision. The invention also incorporate a mechanism to prevent a rocket spin at its bending mode frequency. Increasing the rocket spin rate at rocket launch improves rocket precision by averaging out the rocket thrust misalignment that causes imprecision.
The present invention is particularly useful on a tube launched rocket, such as a 2.75 inch rocket.